05/05/10
Lately I’ve been obsessing over armchairs upholstered in fun, floral fabrics—they capture the spirit of springtime and brighten up the great indoors. This little number by Shabby Chic for Target is super traditional, but its neutral palate keeps the chair from feeling fussy. Looking for something a little less granny-chic? Pottery Barn’s Brooks Upholstered Chair has a sleek, armless design that feels modern. I also love the cheerful pops of yellow and turquoise on Crate & Barrel’s Jardin Chair, and the garden of embroidered blooms on Anthropologie’s Conservatory Chair. Bonus: All four chairs are priced under $1,000.
–Bridget Herman
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04/26/10
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Recently I met with Simon Doonan, all-around groovy guy and creative director of Barneys New York. You may know him as the genius behind the store’s traffic-stopping holiday installations or perhaps as Jonathan Adler’s witty Brit of a husband. I caught him sailing through town for a gig at Barneys. Want to know more of what’s on Doonan’s mind? See Barney’s Babble.
What was your most recent home design purchase?
Johnny and I just installed a ping-pong table in our Palm Beach home. It is a ridiculously important part of our lives. We covered it in vintage paisley wallpaper and play right over the accessories. I am a big believer in games and staying in for game night. I love Scrabble and Monopoly too.
Who wears the decorating pants in your family?
I am more of a prankster [he’s fond of putting kitschy books on his shelves]. I defer to Johnny. I see things as displays. I might see a great Pirelli calendar and frame it up. As far as tabletop, forget it. Stemware freaks me out.
What color combinations are you feeling?
I am happy to see orange about. Also with pink—in a sort of St. Laurent combination. In Victorian times, pink symbolized power and courage. You saw it used in hunting. It’s really much more poppy and bold, than girly. I am fascinated by the meaning of color. Like black—it is sexy, satanic, and seen on both widows and floozies. Some colors really have a complicated and complex association, don’t you think?
What’s new at Chelsea Passage at Barneys?
We are excited about new DL & Co.’s Essence of Green Home Fragrance collection—candles and diffusers. Kim Seybert bar accessories and placemats in great brown-and-white graphic prints. Celestina, a refined, glamorous home accessories collection that uses exotic materials and techniques in lacquer, shells, and shagreen. Resin home accessories from Tina Frey—very cool and Zen shapes in vases and bowls. Anything Fornasetti, from pillows and boxes to wall plates and trays. Sydney Albertini hand-painted abstract dinnerware. She will paint any custom design or color, don’t you love that?
—Barri Leiner Grant
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03/19/10
My latest design obsession? Tabletop terrariums. These lush little vessels can be filled with moss, succulents, or flowers (I’d probably go with moss because it’s easy to keep alive). If you dig the trend, options abound. This model at Amazon has a gambrel roof and looks like a mini green house. Anthropologie’s take is more modern. A smooth glass lid tops a wood base for an effect that’s rustic, yet sleek. My favorites, though, are manufactured by Roost and available at Asrai Garden (see photos above). The interiors are custom-designed by owner Elizabeth Cronin. Among the foliage, Cronin artfully arranges ceramic figurines from Brooklyn Rehab. Bonus: She can customize the tableau with your chosen figurines and plants.
–BRIDGET HERMAN
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12/30/09
Somewhere along the line, “New Year’s resolution” became a code-phrase for “setting self up to fail, but will absolve from memory by February anyway.” Well, where’s the fun in that? We asked three designers—Steve Bruss, president of Hudson Home; Summer Thornton; and Annika Christensen, interior designer and owner of Midnight Sun Antiques—to share their New Year’s resolutions for… your home! These goals are totally achievable, but if they do fall by the wayside, just blame the room’s chi.
Try a black kitchen. “Lacquered glossy black cabinets, antiqued mirror, and brass hardware melded together make a really sexy space,” says Thornton.
Don’t be afraid to shine. Bruss gives spaces a more luxe look by introducing shimmery, icy colors. He also likes to backlight walls clad in translucent stone, like white onyx. “It gives it a very sophisticated and glamorous look.”
Rethink your walls. “I’m excited about the use of more and more fabrics as wallcoverings,” says Bruss, who has upholstered a family room’s walls in linen and a study in worn leather. “These natural materials give the home the warmth it needs.”
Don’t be fake (with your finishes). “A home with real, natural, authentic items feels so much fresher,” Thornton says. She’s been gravitating toward natural-grained stones, such as onyx, tiger’s eye, and geodes.
Chill out. Bruss is saying no to vibrant walls in 2010. “I like wall colors to be quieter, more of a backdrop. Subtle colors make you feel warm and comfortable; loud colors are jarring.”
Be yourself. Christensen had a customer who fell in love with a Swedish landscape oil painting, only to call a month later to say that the painting didn’t go with her rug. “I was flabbergasted,” says Christensen, who discovered that “someone, somewhere had told her that the painting didn’t go well with the rug. Art is art!” If you connect with a piece, she says, don’t worry what other people think.
Don’t procrastinate on quick fixes. “In my own house, I hate how I knick the paint all the time. Woodwork starts to show, and it looks shabby,” says Christensen, who encourages people to do touch-ups as soon as an area begins to look ragged. “These little things bother visual people,” she says. “I fixed the paint in a couple rooms and, oh, how refreshing!”
—LISA GARTNER
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12/09/09
With Chanukah fast approaching (it starts December 11), there’s precious little time left to up your menorah factor. If I didn’t have to buy a boatload of superhero and Transformer-related toys for my four-year-old, maybe I would have some cash left over for aesthetically pleasing Judaica. Probably not this dreamy ebony and hand-forged steel beauty by Caste, which is $3,870 (top left); then again, Hannukah is all about miracles. The more likely option would be Jonathan Adler’s stoneware Utopia Man/Woman modular design ($295). Bonus: “Each piece is reversible with a hipster on one side and a ye olde character on the other,” per the website. The nice thing about a statement menorah is that you can display it year-round. The drawback is that it would be a shame to actually use it.
—GINA BAZER
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05/28/09
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Vintage and Modern—is my new 1st dibs. Well, a price-friendlier, more accessible resource in my stash–with a similar vibe. (I still Jones for a dib now and again!) If you’ve not visited, V&M is a well-curated, dealer-direct site of online storefronts selling antiques, modern furnishings, collectibles, art, and jewelry. Its new, 2.0 version just launched and now offers global services in 40 different languages—it translates, and even converts pricing to the users’ native currency (easy for even a non-techy novice like me to buy from abroad!). Also new is a “Facebook-like” function where you can meet and greet and connect with dealers and buyers—including viewing their pics and stats. Listings include shops, decorators, and stylists in your area, too. You’ll recognize a few locals, (UberModern, Scout, Hudson Home, Scentimental Gardens, Zig Zag, and more). It can be a great way to preview the merch before taking a trek to a store, or doing a pre-shop for gift or decorating needs. Photos are stellar, many color-corrected in Photoshop so there are no surprises. I heart the E collection for my daughter Emma. New inventory gets posted Tuesday mornings, so wake with the birds to nudge in-the-know-designers outta the way for fresh finds.
—Barri Leiner
Photographs courtesy of Vintage & Modern
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05/08/09
I got a big white metal beverage tub at the Target Bullseye Bazaar yesterday, but what I really wanted was one of those French market baskets that were stacked up in front for shopping purposes. I asked one of the salespeople if I could buy one, and the answer was no. I asked her to ask the manager, and the manager, too, said no. No? How could that be? I was willing to pay for one! I felt like my four-year-old son: helpless in the face of authority. I didn’t throw a tantrum, though. After a quick Web search I found Medina Baskets, which carries plenty of similar totes. Also, I thought about it, and let’s say I really wanted to buy one of the big red shopping carts they have at the regular Target, the answer would also probably have been no. C’est la vie! Now if only I could teach my son that concept.
—Gina Bazer
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02/20/09
Love these handpainted earthenware bowls and platters by Gale Garcia at Post 27. They have just enough chunk to them that they’re not too precious, and just enough artfulness that they’re not too blah-functional. Large serving bowl, $160; small, $40; platter, $160.
—Gina Bazer
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02/17/09
I stopped by Green Home Chicago in the Fulton Market District the other day and my eyes (and fingers) were drawn to the same Tibetan Naturals handmade rugs I gravitate toward every time I stop by. These impossibly soft rugs are designed by Kurt Meinecke (who also designs rugs for Herman Miller) and made by Nepalese artisans out of various combinations of wool, silk, and/or yarn from plant fibers. No dyes are used; color variations depend on the breeds of the sheep used. The results are warm and wonderful, but not cheap—about $2,500 to $3,900 for a 5-by-7-foot size—and they must be special ordered. Small samples are on display at GHC, but for $250 you can order a 2-by-2-foot strike to get a sense of what the real thing would look like. Available exclusively at Green Home Chicago.
—Gina Bazer
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02/13/09
Love these lamps by Ted Harris at Scout right now. They're runway lights salvaged from Meigs Field. “Perfect to flank a hallway table—smoky, sexy and sophisticated,” says Larry Vodak, owner of Scout. The man knows what he's talking about. Three are available, $285 each. Get them fast before the Mayor snatches 'em up.
—Gina Bazer
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